


One Step

by Noaboa



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Dystopian, F/F, Hospitals, Hurt Sam Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Sam Winchester - Freeform, Teen Angst, Western, Winchester Boys - Freeform, hurt reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-10 17:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7854391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noaboa/pseuds/Noaboa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Y/N has found herself stuck with the Winchester Brothers, no way of physically getting out. She tries to bribe the boys, but soon things escalates to where she can no longer be alone. She needs help from Sam and Dean Winchester to move on from Silver Dollar City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first writing with me editing it with spare time that I never have. Please enjoy, I pride myself in the writings that I like to read.

We had been living in the dystopian world for whoever knows how long. America’s economy fell which caused the rest of the world to crumble along with it, leaving us in the dust and remains of Earth. Many people were dead, gone with the fall, but some of us stayed in packs. Some of us grew up in small societies where sometimes, if newcomer’s came, everyone would notice and take blame for any mishaps.  
That’s exactly what happened to me. I came into a town called Silver Dollar City about three years ago. Traveling with only the clothes on my back, I arrived in Silver Dollar City looking for a new start. A man named Rob met me at the border, saying he knew my kind.  
“My kind?” I had asked him. He nodded, looking smug. “The kind in need of a loan.” He said proudly. He was a large man with a huge gut and what seemed like constant companions of flies that stayed where he walked. Without hesitation, I knew what kind of man he was but I also knew that I was also desperate to get a fresh start. He said he knew my kind. He was so very right.  
Push forward to now, three years later. I owned a little shack barely enough to fit one person inside. I now sold a little bottle of a drought that some merchant sellers sold me when they passed through. I had everything to sleeping drugs, laxatives, and poisons.  
In this new world, no one cared who lived or died. There was no form of government, except in Silver Dollar City, Rob seemed to own most of the town with his loans. It wasn’t a good start for me or anyone else whom he owned.  
I became distant from the people. No one knew where I came from, no one bothered to ask, so I just slipped through the cracks and liked it there. This is how I never heard of “The Boys.”  
I was closing up shop around my usual two in the morning, when I heard their footsteps. I knew these footsteps and was expecting them tonight. I turned around to face two dark and slimy men who reminded me of the eyeballs of a desert lizard. They smiled, hoping to rile me up and squeeze some money, but I was prepared. I knew how to get my stuff in order, especially when it came to Rob.  
“Well hey there, sweet cheeks.” One man cat-called. He stopped not very far from me. He smelled of rotten eggs and cat pee. The other guy stopped next to him and leaned in. “You got anything for us, darling?”  
“Aye,” I said, not phased by them. They were my usual pick up for my ‘donations’ to my loan, as they called it. “How much is it again?”  
“Three hundred, cupcake.” The first man whispered, getting close to me. I dug in my bag, knowing I didn’t have enough. I tried to keep my panic low so that they couldn’t see it, but something didn’t seem right.  
“You sure?” I called them out. They froze. No one would ever talk back to them especially when they worked for Rob. They knew I caught them.  
“Now, if I remember correctly, I thought it was one fifty.” I paused, letting them stew in their own fear. “Why would Rob double it when I’ve been on time since the beginning and even paid off more than I should, huh?”  
“Well, uh.” The second man stuttered. He suddenly glanced behind me and paled. I could hear the footsteps where he looked, but there was only one person who I would turn to in such a situation to right now and his minions were trying to steal from me.  
“These boys bothering you, sweetheart?” I heard a dark, deep voice behind me. The person with the voice placed a large hand on my shoulder which almost made me jump, but I had other things to attend to.  
“Nope.” I almost growled. I grabbed the one fifty out of my bag and threw it to the two lizard-like men in front of me. They scrambled to pick up all the loose bills. “Oh, and I’ll be calling Rob tomorrow morning, bright and early, just to make sure that my money got to him safe and sound. Night, boys.”  
The men quickly jumped up and away into the darkness, taking their stench with them. Now I was overwhelmed by a different type of musk of leather and a way better cologne then I sold in my shack. The hand left my shoulder as I stepped away from them and turned.  
“You good, sweetheart?” The deep voice man asked. He was blond with dark roots and a little shorter than his friend. He looked tired and was gaining age to his face I knew he couldn’t have in his actual own years.  
“Yeah, I’m good.” I looked at the other man who was a little bit more tan and had darker hair that reached almost past his ears. He was way taller than his blond friend, but seemed to slunk with some unseen weight. “I knew you were trying to do good, but I can handle myself. Honestly.” The tall one smirked a little and I got a feeling about him. I shook it off as the other man raised his hands in mock defense.  
“Alright, alright, munchin. It just looked like they were up to no good.” The blond man laughed and started to turn away. “They were.” I called back to him. He shook his shoulders in a small laugh as he walked off. I was about to leave too when the large man grabbed the small man’s arm. I heard him say something in hushed, forced tones which made his friend stop. I paused, wondering what was going on as the little man nodded and they both turned back to me. The tall man looked me up and down before speaking. Again, I felt that new feeling.  
“Hey, we are actually new to town and were wondering if you had a room for us to stay in…” He paused. The other man looked a little guilty. The tall man continued. “We have some money, not a lot, but maybe for a couple nights. Maybe to pay off those guys? We don’t care how you use it, but we just need a place to crash under a roof. We can sleep on the floor if you have no place. We just need a roof and heat for the next couple of nights.”  
He had a sad glimmer in his eyes. He was so hopeful, but yet I still felt like there was something up about him. I got no such feeling from his friend, so I looked at the small one, answering.  
“How long?” I asked simply. The tall guy seemed to get my hint if being uneasy and stepped back, looking a little hurt but recovered quickly. The blonde stepped in.  
“Maybe two or three nights.” He answered. I nodded small. “How much?”  
“Three, maybe four hundred.”  
I froze for a moment, thinking of how many payments they could pay off for just a couple nights. I was starting to get very happy with their offer. I pretended to think for only a moment before nodding fully.  
“Alright. Pay half upfront, the rest when you leave. Got anything for food, other stuff you need?” The blonde man nodded. The tall man seemed stoic. I didn’t care. I shot out my hand for them to shake.  
“My name is Y/N.” I said. The blonde man smiled and took it gracefully. This was the hand that was on my shoulder. “Dean. My name is Dean Winchester. This here is Sam. He’s my brother.”  
Dean let go and Sam stepped forward hesitantly, holding out his hand. I didn’t know why I was feeling so off about him, but I took his hand. He smiled only at the corner of his lips.  
“Alright, Sam and Dean Winchester. This way.” I lead them off to the back roads of Silver Dollar City where I had my ‘house.’ It was actually in a storage container in the ground, a cellar for the store store that had a bus ‘attached’ to it. It was like the bus crashed into the building then they just incorporated it in. The owner of the restaurant didn’t know I was in here, but the manager let me rent it out until I can pay for a place of my own. Sneaking past the restaurant's now closing front door, I opened the hatch and waved my hand to tell the boys to follow me. The manager seemed to be in the store with the owner today, but the boys didn’t know why I was sneaking around. I watched the owner carefully with his back turned as the boys snuck across and I was just able to pull the latch closed on the hatch door when the owner turned around. I closed my eyes and let out a long breath to let my nerves go. The hatch was the access way to stairs which then led to the storage container with the bus behind a door at the right side end of it. Both boys, not knowing what's going on, had their heads bent almost completely sideways in the tight stairwell. I almost smiled.  
“Sorry, boys. Owner doesn’t know I’m down here. I have to sneak around all the time. Go to the bottom of the stairs and down the hallway to the far right door. It’s just through there.”  
“Y/N,” Dean whispered cautiously. “Maybe we shouldn't be here. Not you, I mean us. We’re very big guys and we can’t sneak around like that all the time, to and fro-.”  
“Nonsense.” I called, thinking about the money. “Besides, he will never know and you can’t leave now. He’s still out there. If you don’t want to stay, tomorrow morning you can leave. That’s when this town is dead is during; the morning in high heat. No one can stand it. Now get yourselves gone down there.”  
Both nodded, Dean scraping past Sam with a smirk before heading down the dark hallway. Sam looked back at me with a worried look. “Don’t worry, I am not going to rat you out. I just have to lock up since that’s what the restaurant is supposed to do. Making it seem like we're not here. I promise, I will be right there.”  
Sam seemed hesitant still but he nodded and left me alone. I indeed had to lock up but the hole where I kept my extras money that I needed to make a deposit. I pulled out the chunk of wall and pushed the money inside, avoiding the spider eggs that the money had planted. I thought it as extra security every time I brushed the mother’s legs. Never did she bite.  
I closed it up and shivered, getting rid of thoughts of any bad thoughts of the spider or money. I had almost enough money for my own place and now with their help, I’ll be perfect. I smiled as I walked down the hallway and was about to open my door when I heard raised, but hushed voices.  
“Calm it down, Sammy, there is nothing to worry about.” Whispered Dean. Sam seemed to think otherwise. “Dean, she’s literally hiding in a bus underneath a building. We can barely fit in here. Just give her fifty and we can find someplace else.”  
“You know full well we can’t, Sam. No place would take us in! The locals seem to have a thing for outsider’s except her!”  
“Don’t even get me started on her, Dean.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“She can’t look at me! She barely looks me in the eye ever since I started talking. I can see her hesitate when she is near me. I don’t think she atones me at all.  
“Well, Sammy, you just have that effect on girls-”  
“Dean.”  
“But you have your soul, you are full you. Maybe she senses something off about you. You feeling ok?”  
I could hear Sam hesitate. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. “Yeah, I’m alright. I just wanna get out of this town. Nothing seems right.” I could heard Dean place a hand on Sam’s shoulder, and I decided to appear. I wiggled the door knob to make it obvious I was here, I heard them both clear their throats.  
Suddenly, I had a stabbing pain in my back, biting my tongue in shock as I opened the door, seeing Sam and Dean freeze.


	2. Chapter 2

“Y/N?” Dean asked, letting go of his brother. I tried to say what was wrong, but warm liquid filled my mouth and I looked down to see blood dribbling down my chin. “Y/N!” Sam yelled as I fell to my knees, my legs becoming numb. I tried to look behind me when I saw the owner of the restaurant with blood on his hands.

“Shows you for sneaking around my place, you piece of-” He was cut off by Dean ramming his body into the Owner’s and I heard Dean punching him senseless. Sam ran forward and just missed catching me before I fell to the floor. I landed with a thud and the blood flew out of my mouth in a little strings. “Hey, Y/N, stay with me, alright?” Sam grabbed me and gently pulled me up onto his lap, rolling on my stomach and looked at my back.

“He stabbed you with a serrated knife. Can you move, Y/N? Y/N? Please, talk to me. I’m gonna pull it out, but I need a med kit.” He looked around my home and raised his blood soaked hands. “Do you have anything to stop the bleeding? Do you have any dental floss to stitch you up? Y/N? Y/N!”

I could hear him, I just couldn’t respond. I tried to answer him, but I couldn't talk or move without choking on blood or pain. “Dean!” Sam shouted as I heard something thump onto the ground. “What?” Dean cried back. “Medkit, now!” I could see Dean run past me and shuffle in his bag before he rushed back. I could feel myself fading, eyes closing.

“Sam.” I could hear Dean warn. I felt very numb and was starting to get cold. “Sam, stop.” Sam raised his hands off of me. “What the hell, Dean?”

“Why would she spewing blood when it’s a back wound?” The brother asked his counterpart. “Well?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know!” Sam cried. Dean knelt down and I could suddenly feel every broken nerve in my body. I winced at every action.

“Check her lungs. She would need to have blood coming from somewhere!” Dean cried. I felt large hands grab my shoulders in anticipation. “I’m sorry, Y/N.” I heard Sam whispered and suddenly, the knife was gone from my back, but not without pain.

It felt like I could feel the tearing on the molecular level. Cells screamed as they were pulled from the blade, but the blood made it worse, the hot liquid on a wound caused it to sear and felt like boiling lemon juice. I could practically hear the metal shaving off bits of flesh as it came out. It was a good thing Dean had held me down because I jumped instantly at the pain, my shoulders twisted under him, my legs splayed out behind me and all I could think about was how I couldn’t breathe.

I tried to tell the brothers that I couldn’t gain oxygen, that I was choking on my own blood, but Sam started digging into my back. If a sharp metal knife was intolerable, human nails were infinitely worse plus one.

I started to scream at all the combined pain, so Dean shoved his hand over my mouth, letting me not only choke on my own blood but now he was covering my nose. I knew I was gonna die with them trying to save me.

“Dean…” Sam growled. “It didn’t puncture a lung.” Suddenly, I was pulled on my side to face Dean. His face was grim, sweaty and had specks of blood splattered like freckles over it.

“Hey, there Y/N. Just open your mouth here…” He removed his hand as Sam tried to stop the bleeding on my back. Next, Dean’s fingers were down my throat, pushing the blood either down or out of my mouth. I almost vomited at the taste, but by the time he pulled out his fingers, I was able to breathe and I could almost feel my adrenaline leaving my body. I could see Dean hold up his bloodied fingers to Sam to show him what they held.  
“We solved the case of the missing piece of tongue.” Dean remarked, giving a small smile. I could feel Sam tense with a look, but I was soon in darkness, the pain free world overcoming me.

 

It was a while when I woke up. I didn’t think I would and that thought was one of the last things I thought before going totally unconscious. I felt the bed beneath me warm and the blankets surrounding me smelled like my own, but with a tint of spice. I moved my fingers before anything else, trying to get the feeling of numbness gone from them. I then opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the newfound light. My ears were ringing loudly and I could feel all the blood rushing to my head.

I blinked one last time, looking around the room. I was on my right side, looking straight at a lump of hair on my bed. At first, I thought it was a cat, but when I looked closer, it was a man in flannel, sitting on a chair but slumped forward to lay his head on the bed. It was Sam, his breathing patterns to heavy to be awake. Once the ringing went away, I could even hear soft snores.

I didn't get that new feeling now, something in me felt safe and comforted by having a sleeping creature next to me.

I didn’t even think about it at first, but my hand was so close to his head that my pinky touched a lock of his hair. It was soft and it seemed to shine in just the right light. I wanted to take it and ball it all in my hands with how soft it felt, like velvet on baby skin.

Then it stopped. I barely noticied it, but his snoring was gone and I could feel him tense on the bed. I froze, scared I had been caught doing something naughty, but he didn’t move. At least for a moment. He just sat there and waited for me to let go. When I did, he slowly sat up, as if I would be frighten by any sudden movements. He sat up straight before registering that I was indeed awake.

“Y/N?” He asked, leaning closer, I nodded, curling my hands together. Would he be mad? “You’re awake?” He asked slowly. I nodded again. “Hey, can you say something for me?”

“Like what?” I asked, but it came out hoarse and sounded like sandpaper. I didn’t even finish the question because my voice cut out, but Sam seemed to smile. “You’ve been out for a while. You haven't really used your voice, so I just wanted to make sure you were awake.”

“Why wouldn't-” He cut me off as he scooted closer, pushing a finger to my lips. He was about to touch my side when he froze and looked down at me.

“Is it alright if I touch you?” He asked. How long was I out? Did he not stitch me up? I was about to speak but remembered and instead nodded. He looked away from my face quickly and proceeded to roll me on my stomach, causing me to wheeze.

“You’ve been out for a couple days. The owner of the restaurant stabbed you in the back for coming down here. Dean took care of him. Before and after you were out. You’ve been recuperating, sometimes waking up only a little to try to communicate your needs. Do you remember any of this?”

I shook my head, making myself feel dizzy. I could feel him lifting up my shirt and touching lightly around the stab wound.

“Well you would only mumble and grunt things that we couldn;t understand and you never answered us. So we just went with it, hoping you would be fully awake soon. You’re stitches need to be changed in a couple days. How does this feel? Nod for tolerant pain or shake your head for intolerable pain.”

He pressed lightly closer to the wound and I shouted harshly. I could feel liquid dribbling out of my back. “Dammit, that opened it up some. Not a lot, just a little. It’ll clot it we put pressure. Just bite the pillow, alright?”  
I nodded as the pain started to dissipate but he suddenly pressed harshly on the stitches and I almost forgot to bite the pillow from screaming. I could feel my skin tearing and the stitches keeping hold inside my skin every time I moved barely an inch. Soon, he let up and I was so exhausted, I was almost asleep to try to rid the pain. He brought the towel away from me and cleaned me up when I heard my door from the hallway opening up.  
“Oh, Sammy, did you get your period this month?” Dean taunted, and I could practically hear him sauntered into the room. I could feel Sam radiate heat without him touching me.

“She’s awake.” Sam said and got up. I heard the faucet running as Sam washed himself and the towel off. Dean rushed over to me.

“Hey there, sweetheart. How ya feeling?” Dean asked, kneeling on the left side of the bed. He got really close to me. “Are you fully awake?” He asked and I grunted but nodded, his light almost instantly wiped then reignited. “There you go, that’s my girl.” Dean smiled like I had never seen before on any human. Like he was a child about to get his favorite food or getting off one of the best rides of his life. It was a genuine smile that I had not seen from anyone lately. I smiled back.

“You’ve been out for a couple days.” Dean said, pulling the chair to come closer to me. I folded his arms and rested them on the bed, holding his chin up as he smiled. “Oh, I also found your hiding spot.”

I froze. My money? He saw how I reacted and sat up and pulled a plastic bag into my view. “Well, I decided to add to it. I’ve done some investigating. Apparently, you owe a lot of money to a very wealthy man; those men last night were there to collect your monthly due. Apparently, what I was able to acquire over the past couple of days has been enough for you to pay it all off.”

He paused. He waited for my reaction, but I was just too tired to even comprehend what he said. He saw my confusion. He dropped the bag on the floor before digging in it. He pulled out wads of cash. “We’re gonna go pay off your debts, sweetheart!” He held up the money close to my face. 

I couldn't believe it! Where did he get that money? Was that all for me? Did he steal it? Was I going to be free of Rob? Did he kill someone… else? My mind was racing and I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed my eyes, my wheezing breaths barely coming out, my chest heaving. 

“Dean!” Sam warned and I could hear his loud footsteps coming closer. He placed something cold on my back and another on the back of my neck. “She’s overwhelmed. I don’t think you need to tell her about it now! You could have waited.”

“I couldn’t, Sammy! I was too excited. I got the last of it too. We’re all good.” Dean said, the chair squeaking as he moved in it. I tried to control my breathing.

“How?” I asked harshly. It came out as a whisper, but I’m sure they heard me in their silence. I could cut through Sam’s glare at Dean’s smug face with a butterknife. “Dean took over your shop.” Sam said, dabbing at the blood. I opened my eyes to see Dean grinning ear to ear. 

“Apparently, you gotta work them.” Dean could see my question. “The demographic you're going for are the older women, the ones who would fall for the crap you sell.” He paused. “No offense.” I tried to shrug my shoulders and mumble something. “Anyway, as soon as they saw a ‘handsome little feller’ I quote not me, they started to come in packs. I told them ‘ladies, ladies, please, control yourselves. If you wanna talk to me, you gotta buy something. To get a kiss, you gotta buy three.’” He wasn’t even blushing. Was he fibbing? Are there that many women in Silver Dollar City? “Anyway,” He continued. “Your stocks are almost gone. You gotta stock up soon. Do you know your merchants’ traveling routes? You have maybe ten bottles left of those things called ‘laxatives.’”

I smiled at that. His eyes crinkled at the side at my own smile. I could feel sleep approaching, so I let it come with the happy thoughts running through my head and two burly men keeping me safe. It’s been a while since I felt this safe.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a while before I woke up again. I wasn’t shocked wake, just started to wake up, didn’t stretched, just listened. I could hear the boys off by the door of the bus, trying to keep hushed voices. I know I shouldn’t listen, but I they were too loud in a too small place.

“What should we do next?” Sam asked, his voice dark. I heard Dean shuffle. “I don’t know, Sammy. I feel bad, we just shouldn’t leave her. She’s hurt because that owner saw us. Not once has she been caught by herself.” Sam sighed. “Should we go once she’s healed up?”

“I don’t know Dean. Maybe? I really don’t know. They might wonder why the owner ‘mysteriously’ disappeared. Maybe we should ask her?” Sam said. I thought they knew I was up until Dean spoke up. “When she wakes, Sammy. Let's grab a bite, I’m starved.”

I peeked through my eyelashes to see Dean walk out of the room and Sam give me a longing look back at me. He had a look in his eye I tried to distinguish, but before I could, he turned and was gone.

I waited to move, gathering my strength. I moved my arms, testing them. Then my head, finding full range of my neck. Then I tried moving my toes; that was a lot harder. After a while, they warmed up, then my feet came next. I could barely moved those, but I decided to move on from those parts and started to twist my torso. That hurt a lot. I could feel my stitches pull, but I twisted back and forth and tried to sit up. That hurt similar to the feeling of the knife was being shoved back into the wound. I cried out and I suddenly fell out of the bed, groaning on the floor, and everything aching. I reached back to feel the tender skin around my wound and felt no blood, so I relaxed for a moment, but I was twisted on the floor, legs not responding and the boys just left. I started to feel my panic rising at the thought of being stuck here. Maybe I’ll die before they get back from something stupid. Then maybe they can leave like they wanted to.

I tried to pull the blanket that I was wrapped in closer to me to bunch it and threw it off me, but my legs were all tangled and numb. Nothing was responding! I decided to try to grab onto the top of the bed to hang on, but I kept slipping off. I got so frustrated that I screamed and pounded the floor. With my adrenaline pumping with pain and other needs I had, I decided to wrench my body around and then I was finally able to hold tight and sit up. I just panted, hanging onto the sheets for dear life, thinking about my next plan. Everything is all for naught. I’ll just cause more pain.

I started to cry, too frustrated at myself because I couldn’t do anything. Once the boys left, I would go back to the shop, keep paying off my debt, but now I was a cripple and couldn’t do any of that. How was I supposed to pay it all off? I shouted at myself for being so stupid enough to get caught, for the owner to find me. Wait- the money.

I glanced over at the bag sitting by the chair, too far for me to reach, even if I decided to let go. If I wanted to do anything right at that moment it would be to either relieve myself or just touch the money, to make sure it was all real. Maybe if I could hide it somewhere where the boys could never find. I couldn’t stop the tears with promises that I could only hold onto by the thin sheets of my bed, keeping me upright. I sat there in anger and tears, just frustrated at myself.

“Y/N?” It was Dean, standing in the doorway, a bag of food in hand. He had a jacket on and snow piled nicely on his shoulders and making his hair sparkle. He was like the saving grace of an angel. He quickly dropped the food and ran over to me, placing his hands gently on my upper and lower back to let me fall off the bed, laying in his arms. Sam burst through the door, also carrying a bag that clinked as the sound of glass bottles thrown inside of it.

“Towel. Now.” Demanded Dean as he brushed the hair from my face. It came away wet with sweat and tears. Sam came over, throwing the wet towel at the end of the bed before pushing his arm under my knees and my butt. Dean lifted me as he was, both rolling me on the bed with a muffled wail of pain from myself. Sam grabbed the towel and wiped away the blood as Dean covered me with the blanket halfway.

“What happened?” Dean asked. I coughed at my first attempt to talk, but was just rough for the second. “Needed to pee, wondered where you guys went… thought you left me.” It was a thought that had previously crossed my mind. Dean looked grim but put on a fake smile to mask it. “No, princess. Not until you’re all better.”

 

After everything was accomplished and the boys had pushed you upright to a sitting position, they sat on either side of the bed, all three of you eating. It was some disgusting bread filled with some type of muck that was supposed to be good for you that everyone in Silver Dollar City are, yet no one liked. Sam and Dean were happily slurping it down.

“When do you think that is?” I asked Dean, thinking to myself the previous conversation. He looked up, completely confused. “When do you think you’re going to leave Silver Dollar City?”  
He paused. To his rescue, Sam answered. I turned to him, but he was avoiding my gaze. “Well since we kind of… got you hurt, we’re staying until you’re up and going again. There is no question there. With the money Dean got all of us, it's not only enough for you to either move up in Silver Dollar statute wise or catch a ride out of here, but enough for us to move on too. Whether that’s here or somewhere else.”

 

I nodded absentmindedly. I thought about how my legs couldn't move and I thought of the worst. “Why can’t I move my legs?” I whispered, the food long forgotten. Sam set down his food and looked at me sadly while Dean finished his own meal.

“Well,” Sam started, but Dean cleared his throat loudly. Sam gave him a face before carrying on. “We’re worried the knife nicked your spine, causing you to become immobile. Without the correct assumptions, though, we’re just going to have to try to get you up and going and then go from there.”

“Look, sweetheart.” Dean interrupted. “We have no plan. Haven’t had one for a while. The only thing we see in our future is helping you until you don’t need us. We will always be here for the falls and the next steps you take. We will never leave you when you need us. Don’t worry about it, alright?”

I could feel a tear of fear and anxiety brush past my eyelashes, but I quickly wiped it away, but they still noticed. “Where have you guys been sleeping?” I asked in a more taunt voice.

“We take shifts, just to make sure you’re breathing. Sam stays on that side, I’m on this side. When he’s out, I’m up. Like I said, don’t-”

“You both sleep on the floor?” I asked, flabbergasted. “That must really hurt! It is so rough! I know, I was down there!”

“Well,” Sam said. “It’s not the worst we’ve been on.” I shook my head. “No. I know it’s an odd request, but my bed is big enough to share. I can be in the middle and you guys will sleep all night and I’ll wake you if I need anything. I promise it’s not weird.”

“Ain’t the first time a girl has asked me to slip into bed.” Dean smirked childishly. “It’s the first time a girl’s asked to do it with your brother, though.” Sam added. 

“Nope.” Dean replied, getting up and gathering the plates. Sam looked at Dean, shocked. “What?” Sam cried.

 

When we were all situated, I was on my stomach again, looking to Dean who was hesitant on what he should wear. “I swear I won’t bite anything.” I told him. “Those jeans aren’t comfortable to sleep in.” I added. He nodded and I avoided my gaze until he opened up the covers and I felt the weight of the bed sag. He fit snugly with his own pillow and still gave me enough room for myself and Sam. Sam was on my right side, slightly shaky. His hands were constantly in a knot and his feet seemed to keep moving.

“Are you sure you want me in there, Y/N?” Sam asked. “You know what, nevermind. I’ll just sleep on the floor. Nevermind. I’m fine, it's gonna get crowded, I’m a big guy, just nevermind.”  
He started to sit down the the ground with a blanket. I didn’t know what to say to the tall man, he look so petrified. Soon, Dean was snoring loudly and Sam was still sitting, apparently pretending to still be on watch duty.

“Sam.” I whispered. “It’s cold and you’re shivering. Please come up here. No more late nights. I’m fine and conscious now.” Sam shook his head, avoiding my eyes. “Please, Sam.” I hesitated. “I know I acted odd when we first met and I don’t know why. Something felt off but that is totally gone and I’m alright. Can you come up here and forgive me?” He shook his head, avoiding me. “Sam, I-”

“It’s not that, Y/N.” He whispered, still not looking at me. He seemed to rock on the floor with exhaustion. “You’re a girl, I’m a guy, one it’s not right, two, I could totally crush you under my weight and hurt you further and… I’ve had a bad wrap with girls I sleep with.”

“None are like me though.” He scoffed at that. “I’m not trying to fuck you, Sam. I just see you’re freezing and I have an empty spot on the bed. Please, come get some rest.”  
He finally looked up into my gaze and I smiled softly. He gazed into my eyes for a few moments, debating if I was truly being rational before getting up, nodding, throwing the half the blanket over me to have him slide in, the weight of the bed creaking. I closed my eyes and relished in his warmth. It was going to be a cold night.

“Thank you.” He whispered. I could feel him trying to avoid touching me, so I nudged my arm in close, touching him, granting him permission. He relaxed. It was a while before he spoke again and I had almost fallen asleep. Maybe he thought I was asleep. “You don’t need me to forgive you. There’s nothing to forgive. I’m sorry, Y/N. I am just worried about hurting you… more. I want to see you live.”

I pretended to move in my sleep, moving what body I could to press into him for comfort. “Forgive me, Y/N.” He whispered into my hair, placing a large arm around me, avoiding my wound. I heard Dean grunt in his sleep and turn over.

“Shut it, Sammy.” I heard him mumble in his dream, not possibly aware of his surroundings. We all fell asleep after that.


	4. Chapter 4

It took a while for me to get back on my feet again… literally. When I had to move, one of the boys would swing my arm over their shoulders and they would hunch down, trying to get me to move my legs. The first time I officially knew I could not walk, my legs were dragging behind me. I was just so angry and scared that as I watched my useless feet slid along the floor, tears started to fall, blurring my vision.

“Y/N?” Dean asked, the one carrying me. Sam was out. Dean stopped and tried to look at me, but soon he could feel my body racking with sobs. “Hey, Y/N.” He tried comforting me, but I couldn’t stop myself. He slowly lowered me to the ground and he sat down and leaned against the wall while he cradled me in his arms.

“It’s alright, Y/N. It’s going to be ok.” He was slightly rocking me in a comforting motion, like a baby while simultaneously brushing away hair and tears. “We ain’t gonna leave you. Not until you’re running around this godforsaken town like you own the place.” That was only my first attempt.

A couple weeks later, I was army crawling on the ground like some insect, sometimes scarring the boys. Sam would shriek while Dean would start cursing when I did this, both their reactions funnier than the next. I was anxious to get outside and go back to my shop, but Dean was running the shack and now that I could slightly fend for myself, Sam took up running the restaurant, filling in for the ‘mysteriously’ disappeared owner. Both of them tried to convince me to move but every time I showed them that we honestly didn’t have enough money for it yet.

Then it became time to pay off my loan. The lizard men collected from me once every month and that day was soon approaching. I knew that only I could give the money to the lizards of men, but I didn’t want to crawl out into the snow by myself or show them that I was even disabled. That would give them intention to gather my money by making me even more immobile by taking my abilities or shanking me… again.

Either way, the boys had a plan to help me.

We were all going up to the shack. They boys were going to help me walk by pretending I was with them just for moral support. They would hide in my shop until I pretend to close out. Sam would hide behind the shack, ready to sprint with a gun if needed. Dean would stay hidden inside with me while I handed them the money through the window. I was safe in my shack with Dean while Sam was for extra protection.

It would have gone effortlessly if the weather in Silver Dollar City wasn’t so erratic and bipolar. We came out with jackets to have no snow and rain pouring down. Even though I could take a few steps on my own and could actually stand with a wooden support, I could barely see where to put my feet when I did step. So Dean quickly gathered me up in a bundle and we rushed over to the shack. Dean closed up extra early, denying his marriage proposals from the women he sold to just so no one would notice us. We all crammed inside, soaking wet and still cold. Dean shook off his jacket and slung it over me.

“I can’t take it, Dean.” I denied but he brushed my hands away as I leaned on the counter. “You’re skinnier, have less fat, your wounded, plus I can see you shivering. I’m a heater anyway plus I’ll be in here. I’ll be fine.” He demanded. I nodded, accepting graciously. 

Soon it was time to get into position. Dean ducked down right before me while Sam stepped outside. He closed the door and looked back at me through the front window. He had a look I couldn't quite see because of the rain, but soon he was gone, staked out in the freezing rain.

Then the lizard men were at my window, knocking with grimy hands. I opened it a sliver to keep them out and the accumulating heat in. “What you need, boys?” I asked. They leaned again my shack, almost tipping it over. “Come here to collect the cold, hard stuff, dumpling.” One said.

“Heard you’ve been gone.” The second one said. “Heard you’ve been ‘incapacitated.’” I raised my hands, looking around my shop. “Well, I’m here, making my money. Who said something?”

One scoffed. “Local bar maids.” I rolled my eyes, not amused. “Well, you know them wenches. Pay fifty bucks just to get a tip of gossip.”

“Oh, aye.” Second said, getting close to the window. “Either way, whatever you got hiding in that little box is ours now. You’ve gotta pay up, darling.” I wait for a moment, pretending to think. I tap my fingers on the window sill, making the lizard men anxious.

“I’ve had a good month boys.” I called lazily. “I’m feeling pretty happy with my life. Why don’t I just give you the rest of it and we will be on our way?” They froze at this notion. Did they believe me that I had the rest of my loan sitting behind me? Of course not. I turned softly and slammed the bag of cash on the shelf beneath my window, out of the boys reach.

“I have all of it right there.” I pushed the bag forward a little bit. Guy One launches at the window, but I slam it down on his fingers. He shrieks, trying to pull them out. “I’ve been working on this for a long time boys. If this money doesn’t make it to Rob, we will all know who took it. Ya’ll collect from everyone else in this town. You are known, boys.”

“There no way the boss will believe that you got the money to pay it off!” The second guy shrieks, trying to pull his friend out. “He won’t notice the missing money, just the money you will stop paying him!” He suddenly pulls out a gun and shoots the window. I scream, covering my head from bullets and glass as the first guy takes the money and runs. Dean is already on his feet, gun in hand.

“Are you hurt?” He asks. I don’t answer him. “Y/N, are you hurt!” He screams at me. I shake my head quickly. He starts to run off towards the men when he pushes past Sam. “Are you alright?” He asks. I nod, waving him off as I sit down. “Just go get it! That’s all we got!”

Sam nods and chases after his brother. I scoot towards the back of the shed and lean up against the wall. I thought I felt something hit me when the guy shot; I thought it was glass but the bullet was there, sitting in my stomach towards my left pelvic bone. I pulled away my hand and smacked my head on the wall in anger. Why am I always getting hurt?

Suddenly, from the darkness, I hear a gunshot. I perk up, wondering who it was. “Dean?” I ask. No answer. I hear another gun shot, a deep shout, some scrambling and then another gun shot. Three bullets, hopefully fired from my boys’ guns. Please come back safe.

Soon, I hear shuffling and grunts coming towards the shed. I try to hide myself, make myself as small as possible in the case that the lizard men came back to finish the job. I can feel the shed shake as a body leans against it and then Dean sticks his head inside. “Heya, princess. Miss me?”

“Dean!” I breathed out, relief washing over me. I crawl painfully, trying not to show him how much I was bleeding. Thankfully his jacket and my own covered it. “Dean... “ I was going to tell him, but something was wrong. He had blood on his hands. “Sam?” I asked him. Dean masks his face and pulls me up with a painful wail from myself. He takes me outside and I see Sam sitting against the shed, rain pouring on him, washing away blood from his shirt on his left shoulder. “What happened?”

“I got him.” Sam breathed, trying to move towards me, but I came to him, Dean letting me go. “Other guy got me, Dean shot him in the head. I say two for one ain’t bad.” Sam smiled a small smile at his brother.   
“Alright, you big hero.” Dean looks around. “Let’s find us something to get out of here with. I don’t think we are welcome here anymore with two dead bodies bleeding in the road.”

Dean runs off as I crawl closer to Sam. He is clawing at the wound, the sleeve of his jacket in his mouth. “Sam, stop!” I yell, but he is shrieking himself before he rips out the bullet from his chest with spurts of blood. He leans his head against the shed, breathing heavily. “Dean will stitch me up in minute. I’ll be ok. I’ve bled tons more than this.” He closes his eyes, trying to rest. I pull off Dean’s jacket and push it against Sam’s gushing wound. The rain starts to sprinkle only a little now, causing us to relish in the dampness.

Sam suddenly opens his eyes and looks down. I am across his lap, my hand pushing the jacket of his wound, his hand over mine. He shoots his glare to my hand and removes his own, taking the jacket holding hand to look at it.

“Y/N, where did he shoot you?” He says, panicked. He drops the jacket and pulls me closer to him. I try to avoid it. I didn’t want to show him I was in pain but I needed him to know I was hurt… again. I felt so embarrassed. 

“That’s yours.” I whispered, avoiding looking at my hand. Sam’s wound makes his shirt stick to his skin while he tries to get my jacket off. “Sam, you haven’t even taken me my first date.” I tell him, trying to play. I start to get woozy. “Sam, stop.” I say, swatting away his hands. He doesn’t, desperate to see. “Sam, I said stop!” I try to pull away from him, that same feeling coming back. The feeling that I had when I first saw him, except this was way more intense. If I had the blood for it, I would be blushing with some emotion.

“Sam!” Dean growled, running back towards us. “What the hell are you doing?” He has a dark look in his eye as he glares down at his younger brother. I am trying to keep my jacket closed to anything. “She’s-” Sam starts.

“Fine!” I say, rolling off of him. “I’m fine! Get me to the car!” Dean seems to hesitate, looking at his brother before picking me up and rushing me to an old, square van. It already has most of my stuff and the boys’ from my home in it. There are two rows of benches looking at each other on the inside of the van. He lays me on one, giving me a stern look. “Y/N, I swear if you’re-”

“Get Sam and let's go.” I interrupt him. We needed to get away fast even if I bleed out. I wanted a fighting chance to get away from Rob. I knew he was coming at the sound of gun shots.


End file.
